Every living organism is mostly made up of proteins. For us, this includes a lot more than just muscle too.
One crucial protein that’s actually the most prevalent in your body is called collagen. Collagen is a protein essential for many parts of your body including:
• Skin
• Bones
• Tendons
• Ligaments
• Muscles
• Blood Vessels
Did I mention It’s also a major component in cartilage too?
If you've heard of collagen before, you've probably heard of it's benefits for your skin. After all, collagen plays a role in the strength and elasticity of skin.
The problem is, over time, the collagen in our body breaks down and needs to be replaced. Our bodies do produce collagen, but as we age our production of collagen decreases. This collagen loss can lead to joint discomfort, signs of aging, and more.
To keep collagen protein high in your body, a lot of people add collagen supplements to their routine. I personally do, and it makes a noticeable difference.
One of these collagen supplements you've probably heard of is bovine collagen. But, what exactly is bovine collagen?
That's what I'm here to talk you through today. You'll learn what bovine collagen is, the benefits it has to offer, and how it compares to other types of collagen.
What Is Bovine Collagen?
Just like humans have collagen, so do cows.
Why am I talking about cows? Well, bovine collagen is a type of collagen sourced from cows. It’s a pretty common source for collagen supplements too.
It’s the protein found in their bones, ligaments, tendons, and organs just like us.
Now, bovine collagen is packed full of two main types of collagen: Type I and Type III.
These are both great for skin health, and can help with skin tightness to prevent wrinkles.
Most people who use collagen are likely taking it for their hair, skin, and nails. So, bovine collagen would be a great option if that’s your main focus.
But, as you may have guessed, there are other types of collagen out there as well. So, let's touch on what those are briefly as well.
Types of Collagen
There are 28 types of collagen, five of which are the most prevalent in the human body. That's not to say that the others are unimportant, but these 5 can be the most important:
Type I Collagen
This is the most abundant form of collagen, found in skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments for strength and structure. Adding this type of collagen to your diet can help support your hair and nails. Bovine collagen contains a lot of Type I.
Type II Collagen
This is a type of collagen found in cartilage, supporting joint flexibility and cushioning.
Type III Collagen
Type III collagen is located in internal organs, blood vessels, and skin. It aids in tissue repair and skin elasticity. This type can support your artery health and skin during aging. You will also find this in bovine collagen.
Type V Collagen
This collagen can be found in your eyes and some layers of skin and hair.
Type X Collagen
This type of collagen is mostly found in articular cartilage, and in new bone formation. It can help with joint cushioning as well as bone growth and repair.
That is your quick breakdown of the 5 main types of collagen. But, now that you know what bovine collagen is, and the types of collagen it contains ... What are the benefits of bovine collagen?
Benefits of Bovine Collagen
Adding bovine collagen to your day-to-day life can have some profound benefits for your body. Here are some of the main perks:
Bovine Collagen Can Help Support Skin Health
Since collagen makes up about three-quarters of your skin, supplementing bovine collagen can help support your skin health (1).
Because of this, it could help reduce wrinkles, improve skin elasticity, and increase moisture in your skin. Overall, bovine collagen can help maintain smooth, tight skin.
Bovine Collagen Can Help Support Joint Health
Bovine collagen can help with the cartilage in your joints as well.
It could even help relieve arthritic pain, specifically from osteoarthritis (2). This is the most common form of arthritis and origin of joint pain.
Bovine Collagen Can Help Support Bone Health
Collagen makes up most of your bone mass. As we age, this is something that can become increasingly important.
Well, taking bovine collagen may help prevent bone loss and improve bone density (3). If you have osteoporosis, or fragile bones, this could potentially help.
Now, this isn't the only thing you should take in this case. However, it certainly wouldn't hurt to add bovine collagen for extra help.
Bovine Collagen Can Help Support Digestive Health
Collagen is nearly everywhere in your body, including in your digestive system.
Adding more bovine collagen can support healthy digestion. In studies it actually helped reduce bloating and mild digestive symptoms (4).
I’m not saying bovine collagen is the next miracle digestion fix. It can help, but there’s still some research needed to be done on how and why it helps.
So, I think of the digestion help as more of a bonus benefit. It’s probably not the reason I would go out of my way to take it, but it’s still a plus!
Bovine Collagen vs. Marine Collagen
Cows aren’t the only animal that you can get collagen from. Fish and shellfish are also good sources of collagen.
When collagen is sourced from fish, it's referred to as marine collagen. But, other than their sourcing, what's the difference between bovine collagen and marine collagen?
Well, the main difference comes from their amino acid profiles. Remember, there are 28 different types of collagen! Each of these types have different amino acid sequences and different benefits.
Bovine collagen is known to have type I and type III. It’ll have a little bit of type II collagen as well.
The collagen in your skin is primarily made up of type I and type III collagen, which is why taking bovine collagen can be a good way to support your skin.
Those two types of collagen can help reduce wrinkles, improve skin elasticity, and increase skin moisture (5).
Marine collagen mostly contains type I collagen, but there is some type II and III in there too. Studies on marine collagen show it can improve skin elasticity and wrinkles (6).
Marine collagen also helps support cartilage regeneration, which can be great for those with painful or stiff joints (7).
So really, both bovine collagen and marine collagen can have great benefits. You can’t go wrong with either one!
In fact, it’s not a bad idea to use both! Getting your collagen from multiple sources can be pretty advantageous.
Different sources of even the same types of collagen still have some differences. Plus, getting your collagen from different sources can give you the individual benefits of each type.
When it comes to bovine collagen though, or collagen in general, you may be wondering how to get it in your diet. Let’s talk about it.
How to Get More Bovine Collagen
You can get bovine collagen in two main forms:
1. Directly from cows
2. From a supplement
If you get bovine collagen from your diet, it’s likely to come from beef bone broth.
This simple broth is made from boiling cow bones, which dissolves the collagen into the broth. Then you drink it.
Not everyone wants to go through that process though. A faster and much easier way to get bovine collagen is with a supplement.
Call me lazy, but I’m not one to take the time out of my day to get beef bones and boil them.
I mix a scoop of collagen powder in with my coffee or protein shakes, and I’m all set.
Maximizing the Benefits of Collagen
Overall, bovine collagen is a great source to get your collagen from. That's true whether it's from food or a supplement.
As we age, our body makes less collagen. So, if you want to maintain higher levels as you get older, you need to make sure you’re getting collagen!
There are many sources of collagen out there, and they all have their benefits. I do recommend that bovine collagen is one of the sources you get it from though.
Remember, bovine collagen can help support skin, nails, and reduced signs of aging. However, that's not to say that it’s the only beneficial type of collagen out there.
If you want to maximize the benefits of collagen, you'd ideally get it from multiple sources.
If you think about it, the benefits of collagen come down to the amino acids it provides. Your body takes those amino acids and uses them to produce the different types of collagen in your body.
One source of collagen can only give you the amino acids that it contains. More collagen sources broaden the amino acid profile you’re consuming. That way, there’s more potential benefits you can receive.
Think of your body like a house. Your house likely has a concrete foundation, wood framing, and maybe brick on the outside. Lots of different materials to make one cohesive and structurally-sound home.
Your body makes different types of collagen for different tissues. This is just like your house being made of different materials.
If the bricks need repairing, but I only give you wood, you wouldn’t be able to repair the brick. You would just be able to repair what was made from wood.
I know it’s not a perfect comparison because all collagen is made of roughly the same stuff. Each type just has different amino acids in different sequences.
But, the logic is still sound. If you damage your cartilage and need to repair it, you need type II collagen.
If you only take type I collagen, you’re not as likely to repair that cartilage. Your body may choose to use it somewhere else.
So all of that is just my way of explaining why it's more ideal to consume multiple sources of collagen.
Just be sure that bovine collagen is one of the sources you get. It's definitely a great source with many benefits!
Choosing a Collagen Supplement
When it comes to collagen supplements, bovine collagen is a great choice. It can help your body a lot, but it doesn’t contain every type of collagen your body needs on its own.
The best way to go, in my opinion, is a multi-source collagen. That way, you get the benefits of each source and type of collagen in the mix!
For a long time, I wasn't a big believer in taking collagen ... But I was ignorant. I didn’t really look into, or understand, the research.
I started using a multi-sourced collagen powder in 2020 after a major injury. It really surprised me how much it helped!
I healed quicker. I had less joint pain. My skin and my hair looked great too. I take it every day now, and just mix it with my coffee or protein shake.
If you want the best collagen supplement on the market, check out 1st Phorm’s Collagen with Dermaval. This is the one I use, and I can’t say I’ve ever had a bad experience with it.
Not only does it contain bovine collagen, but it also has 4 other collagen sources. Those 5 sources provide the 5 major types of collagen, but that’s still not all.
It also includes Dermaval, which is a superfood antioxidant blend. It can help your body protect collagen and elastin from being broken down.
Elastin is another protein in your skin that makes it elastic. If your skin is elastic, it can stretch and return back to its original shape without becoming loose.
So, Dermaval is a big deal when it comes to skin elasticity and helping to prevent wrinkles!
If you want to look and feel your best, 1st Phorm Collagen with Dermaval is my recommendation! Collagen with Dermaval also comes available in a naturally-sweetened version as well in case that's what you prefer.
At 1st Phorm, our mission is to help real people earn real and long-term results. No matter what your health or fitness goals are, we're here to help. We also want to help!
So, if you have any questions or need help in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out! We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri. Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com any day from 6 AM to 10 PM Central.
References:
(1) Wang H. A Review of the Effects of Collagen Treatment in Clinical Studies. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Nov 9;13(22):3868. doi: 10.3390/polym13223868. PMID: 34833168; PMCID: PMC8620403.
(2) Devasia S, Joseph JT, P S S, Koizumi S, Clarke L, V T S, Kailas AP, Madhavan S. Management and Amelioration of Knee Joint Osteoarthritis in Adults Using a Novel High-Functional Bovine Collagen Peptide as a Nutritional Therapy: A Double-Blind, Prospective, Multicentric, Randomized, Active and Placebo Controlled, Five-Arm, Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability. Cartilage. 2024 Jan 18:19476035231221211. doi: 10.1177/19476035231221211. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38235711.
(3) Liu J, Zhang B, Song S, Ma M, Si S, Wang Y, Xu B, Feng K, Wu J, Guo Y. Bovine collagen peptides compounds promote the proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts. PLoS One. 2014 Jun 13;9(6):e99920. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099920. PMID: 24926875; PMCID: PMC4057461.
(4) Abrahams M, O'Grady R, Prawitt J. Effect of a Daily Collagen Peptide Supplement on Digestive Symptoms in Healthy Women: 2-Phase Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Form Res. 2022 May 31;6(5):e36339. doi: 10.2196/36339. PMID: 35639457; PMCID: PMC9198822.
(5) Pu SY, Huang YL, Pu CM, Kang YN, Hoang KD, Chen KH, Chen C. Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2023 Apr 26;15(9):2080. doi: 10.3390/nu15092080. PMID: 37432180; PMCID: PMC10180699.
(6) Evans M, Lewis ED, Zakaria N, Pelipyagina T, Guthrie N. A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study to evaluate the efficacy of a freshwater marine collagen on skin wrinkles and elasticity. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021 Mar;20(3):825-834. doi: 10.1111/jocd.13676. Epub 2020 Sep 15. PMID: 32799362; PMCID: PMC8176521.
(7) Geahchan S, Baharlouei P, Rahman A. Marine Collagen: A Promising Biomaterial for Wound Healing, Skin Anti-Aging, and Bone Regeneration. Mar Drugs. 2022 Jan 10;20(1):61. doi: 10.3390/md20010061. PMID: 35049916; PMCID: PMC8780088.
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